Inhibition of sialidase activity and cellular invasion by the bacterial vaginosis pathogen Gardnerella vaginalis

Bacterial vaginosis is a genital tract infection, thought to be caused by transformation of a lactobacillus-rich flora to a dysbiotic microbiota enriched in mixed anaerobes. The most prominent of these is Gardnerella vaginalis (GV), an anaerobic pathogen that produces sialidase enzyme to cleave terminal sialic acid residues from human glycans. Notably, high sialidase activity is associated with preterm birth and low birthweight. We explored the potential of the sialidase inhibitor Zanamavir against GV whole cell sialidase activity using methyl-umbelliferyl neuraminic acid (MU-NANA) cleavage assays, with Zanamavir causing a 30% reduction in whole cell GV sialidase activity (p < 0.05). Furthermore, cellular invasion assays using HeLa cervical epithelial cells, infected with GV, demonstrated that Zanamivir elicited a 50% reduction in cell association and invasion (p < 0.05). Our data thus highlight that pharmacological sialidase inhibitors are able to modify BV-associated sialidase activity and influence host-pathogen interactions and may represent novel therapeutic adjuncts

Genetic and environmental effects influencing fruit colour and QTL analysis in raspberry

Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) fruit colour was assessed in the Latham x Glen Moy mapping population using a colour meter and visual scores over three seasons and three environments. The colour measurements were found to be significantly associated with pigment content, have high heritability, and stable QTL were identified across environments and seasons. Anthocyanin content has previously been shown to be the major contributor to fruit colour in red raspberry. Major structural genes (F3'H, FLS, DFR, IFR, OMT and GST) and transcription factors (bZIP, bHLH and MYB) influencing flavonoid biosynthesis have been identified, mapped and shown to underlie QTL for quantitative and qualitative anthocyanin composition. Favourable alleles for the selected traits were identified for the aspects of fruit colour and partitioning of individual pigments